Life in Medieval

Times

Life in Medieval

Times

What do you know about Medieval Times/Middle

Ages?Movies

Stories

Restaurant

Robin Hood, King Arthur, Excalibur

Map of England

The beginning…• Period begins in 1066.

– Battle of Hastings --marks the Norman invasion of England

• Normans came from an area in France (called Normandy) and conquered England, changing England forever.– Brought centralized rule,

establishing feudalism

– Changed English language by introducing new words influenced by French

– Began the French/English rivalry that would continue for centuries

Feudalism

• Feudalism -- the country was not governed solely by the king, but by individual lords.– ruled their own estates– dispensed their own

justice– made their own money– demanded military

service from knights/vassals.

KING

LORDS

KNIGHTS/VASSALS

SERFS/PEASANTS/FREEMEN

LOYALTY ANDSERVICE LAND

LOYALTY ANDMILITARY SERVICE

LAND ANDPROTECTION

LABOR PROTECTION

Feudal Ties and Obligations

• Feudal Ties:• a relationship of obligation and mutual

service between vassals/knights and lords • A vassal held his land as a grant from a

lord. • A Vassal's Obligations:

• required to attend the lord at his court• help administer justice• must fight in battle when called • must feed and house the lord and his

company when they travel across his land• A Lord's Obligations:

• obliged to protect the vassal• give military aid• guard vassal’s children

How People Lived – Manor Life

A lord had a section of England he watched/ruled over (kind of like a county):

• Consisted of a manor house, one or more villages, and up to several thousand acres of land divided into meadow, pasture, forest, and cultivated fields.

• The fields were further divided into strips: 1/3 for the lord of the manor, less for the church, and the remainder for the peasants and serfs.

• At least half the work week was spent on the land belonging to the lord and the church.

• The rest of the time the villagers were free to work their own land.

Peasants• The Peasant's Life:

– Owned the land they worked.– Villages consisted of from 10-60

families living in rough huts on dirt floors, with no chimneys or windows.

– Often, one end of the hut was given over to storing livestock. Furnishings were sparse.

– The peasant diet was mainly porridge, cheese, plain bread, and a few home-grown vegetables.

– had a very hard life– They did not work on Sundays or

on the saints' days.– They could go to nearby fairs and

markets.

Serfs• The Serf's Life:

– A serf was bound to a lord for life. – could not own property (more like a

slave)• needed the lord's permission to

marry– could not leave the land without the

lord's permission unless he chose to run away

• If he ran to a town and managed to stay there for a year and a day, he was a free man.

– Only positives:• He could not be displaced if the

manor changed hands. • He could not be required to fight• Was entitled to the protection of

the lord• Was forced to work the land, but

did not have to pay dues like the peasants

Women in Medieval Times• Modern misconceptions about Medieval women:

– They were inferior to men.– They were meek and obedient to fathers and husbands.

• Medieval women in reality: – had a lot of responsibility – not at all inferior to men in terms of daily effort– most worked and did not stay at home– many toiled alongside their families in the fields– some were employed in workshops or were trades-women– sometimes had the responsibility of running large estates, due to

the death of a husband • Land holding:

– Unmarried women holding lands were powerful and had the same rights as men.

– When a woman married, she forfeited her lands and rights to her husband.

• Life outside home:– Some unmarried women entered convents or nunneries.

• Allowed them an education or lead a devout life. • Many nuns cared for the sick.

• Occupations:– shopkeepers, bakers, spinners, alewives (those that brewed the

ales), farmers, and silk weavers. – It was common for a woman to hold more than one job, because they

were paid much less than men.

Clothing• Clothing varied according to the social

standing.• Peasants’ clothing was very simple.• Clothing of nobility was more ornate and fitted. • Knights wore sleeveless "surcoats" covered

with a coat of arms.

• Men– tighter fitting tunics – Men also wore undershirts and briefs

covered by a sleeveless jacket and an additional tunic.

– Stockings completed the ensemble. • Women

– Wore "kirtles", which were tunics worn to their ankles.

• often worn over a shirt. – The more affluent women wore more

luxurious clothing.– Women, especially those who were

married, wore tight-fitting caps and nets over their hair, hair was wound in a "bun" on their heads.

– Other women wore veils over their hair, which was left either hanging loosely, or braided tightly.

Food

Foods and diets depended on the class of the individual.

• Lords ate:

– Meat

– Milled flour and meal made from grain (nice bread)

– Dairy (cheese, butter)

• Peasants/Serfs ate:

– Simpler foods

– Bread made from barley and rye (rough, crunchy bread)

– Ales made from barley

– Pottage (thick soup/stew)

– Got proteins from peas and beans

– Raw vegetables were considered unhealthy and rarely eaten

• Medieval diets( in general):

– lacked vitamins A, C and D

– were not high in calories

Medieval ChurchThe church was the main focus of community life.

• Priest was appointed by the lord.– Kept up the church– Provided hospitality to travelers– The priest officiated at church services, weddings, baptisms, funerals, and visited the ill. – Earned income for parish lands, fees for services, and tithe money

• Friars– First appeared in the 13th century. – They were clergy not attached to any particular parish, and indeed had no visible means

of support. They traveled around a lot. – They rejected the monastic ideal of seclusion.

• went to live among townspeople• survived by begging.

• Monks – These were highly educated and lived in monasteries. – They took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. – Their life was one of work and prayer.

The CrusadesMilitary campaigns fought

mainly against Muslims (1095-1291)

The goal was to recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims

--Called the “Holy War”

Other Wars• The Hundred Years' War

– a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453.

– It was fought primarily over claims by the English kings to the French throne

– Joan of Arc --A French peasant girl. She led the French army to several important victories, claiming divine guidance. She was captured by the English, tried by a court, and burned at the stake when she was nineteen years old. Twenty-four years later, the church reviewed the decision of the court, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr.

• The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487)– series of civil wars fought over the throne of

England between the House of Lancaster (Red) and the House of York (White).

Science

• Scientific method• Algebra, Calculus, Trigonometry• Modern surgery• Alchemy (turning common

metals into gold or silver)• Chemistry• Navigation – compass• Bombs• Physiognomy – peoples faces

can indicate trustworthiness, social dominance, and aggression

***Look for all of these aspects of medieval culture inTHE CANTERBURY TALES by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Major Accomplishments: